I was wondering if you guys could share your experience / advice about entry level CD players for this kind of a set up. The models I have been researching are the Onkyo C-7030, NAD C 515BEE, Cambridge Audio Topaz CD10, Marantz CD5004, and the Cambridge Audio Sonata CD30.

This is for a relative who does not like used gear so a used Oppo isn't really an option.

All fine. All arguably overpriced for what they do. These days, basically anything with a laser in it can play a CD as well as a CD can be played. Buy the cheapest, or buy one of the Cambridge units to match the amp.

If you can't explain how it works, you can't say it doesn't.—The High-End Creed

If your relative uses digital connections, then just about any modern Blu-ray player would be fine as mcnarus pointed out. Some are quite inexpensive. Sony's BDP-S5100 isn't the cheapest (just over $100 U.S.) but it can play SACDs, too. Players with high quality analog connections tend to be quite a bit more expensive, unfortunately.

The Blu-ray players that I'm aware of which have high quality multichannel analog outputs are the Panasonic DMP-BDT500, which costs about $250 or slightly more, and the Oppo 103 and 105 players which cost $500 and $1000 respectively. I consider those prices to be considerably more than $100 or so.

There very well might be some Redbook CD players with quality stereo analog otuputs available at lower prices, but I really believe that limiting yourself to stereo when high quality multichannel audio is readily available is an unnecessary restriction of the enjoyment available to you. The phrase "cutting off your nose to spite your face" comes to mind, but that isn't quite the sensory input used for this

The Blu-ray players that I'm aware of which have high quality multichannel analog outputs

Defined how? Incapable of putting out Redbook-quality PCM?

Quote:

There very well might be some Redbook CD players with quality stereo analog otuputs available at lower prices, but I really believe that limiting yourself to stereo when high quality multichannel audio is readily available is an unnecessary restriction of the enjoyment available to you.

The OP asked for a CD player. There aren't too many multichannel CDs, least not that I know of.

If you can't explain how it works, you can't say it doesn't.—The High-End Creed